{"id":489878,"date":"2026-05-18T00:27:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T00:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/489878\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T00:27:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T00:27:12","slug":"whats-behind-the-explosion-in-planet-fitnesss-popularity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/489878\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s Behind the Explosion in Planet Fitness\u2019s Popularity?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated7 min read<\/p>\n

IN 2017, NO<\/strong> one batted an eye when I told them I\u2019d signed up for Planet Fitness. I was in grad school, still living like a broke college student. PF didn\u2019t have all the bells and whistles, but it was cheap and open 24 hours a day. I could go in the middle of lunch or at 2 a.m. after lab. Plus, free pizza every first Monday of the month.<\/p>\n

Nine years later, I still go to Planet Fitness even though I\u2019ve long since graduated school.<\/strong> In fact, I\u2019ve even splurged on the Black Card tier (an extra $10 a month). My friend Mario jokingly calls me a broke bitch whenever I say I\u2019m headed to Planet Fitness.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the thing: I never asked for a wellness spa lifestyle center with a hair salon, massage appointments, or sauna. I don\u2019t need overpriced juices or blood tests. I definitely don\u2019t need to shell out $300+ every month. And I\u2019m not alone.<\/p>\n

On social media, people used to clown on PF\u2014but I\u2019ve noticed a distinct shift in how they talk about the \u2018purple palace.\u2019 A growing number of videos have the same message<\/a>: \u201cMaturing is realizing Planet Fitness is a good gym,\u201d says the text on one video. \u201cSay what you want but Planet Fitness is stepping it up. This is a fucking amazing gym to have,\u201d states another.<\/p>\n

It shows in the numbers. Planet Fitness ended 2025 with an increase in membership to 20.8 million<\/a> members, up from 19.7 million the year before. The franchise opened 181 new locations in the past year, too. Two of those are near me. I\u2019ve been putting my Black Card to good use.<\/p>\n

So\u2026 what\u2019s going on? I decided to find out.<\/p>\n

The Price Is (Still) Right<\/p>\n

I STARTED BY<\/strong> asking some guys at my local Planet Fitness in Westbury, New York. Price was the most common answer, followed by location. David, 42, says it\u2019s close to where he lives and much cheaper than other gyms. Luis, 19, says that for the price, it covers everything he needs to get in a good workout. \u201cI work all over the States and with the Black Card I can get to a lot of Planet Fitnesses,\u201d says Michael, 35.<\/p>\n

As gym prices go up, it seems like mid-budget gym options have all but vanished. (Planet Fitness did raise its prices, going from $10 to $15 for a basic membership, in my case $21.99 to $24.99 for the Black Card, but it still isn\u2019t breaking the<\/a> bank). There are fewer affordable options, period.<\/p>\n

But price isn\u2019t the only thing that\u2019s changed. People online point out improved machine selection and how PF has transformed into a place where you can get decent workout at all experience levels\u2014while avoiding the \u201cperformative\u201d fitness influencers that crowd other, more expensive, commercial gyms. \u201cPlanet Fitness played the long game. Planet Fitness saw this coming,\u201d says one commenter<\/a>. \u201cNow it\u2019s like I\u2019m getting tired of the standard commercial gym influencer stuff and Planet Fitness might not be that bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s corporate got to say about it?<\/p>\n

\u201cOur focus has been on meeting people where they are and creating a space where anyone can feel comfortable getting started or staying consistent,\u201d said Brian Povinelli, PF\u2019s chief marketing officer, in an email to me. \u201cWe are always working to evolve our member experience to best reflect changing consumer needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m all for it. The purple and yellow space I stepped into nearly a decade ago is not the same Planet Fitness I see today.<\/p>\n

PF Bulked Up<\/p>\n

WHEN I JOINED <\/strong>PF, a good two-thirds of the floor used to be filled with cardio machines. It was a loud, sweaty obstacle course you had to walk through to reach a dumbbell or a Smith machine. Nowadays, my local PF has cut back on cardio and decreased the number of treadmills and ellipticals.<\/p>\n

In line with a changing gym culture, they\u2019ve shuffled the space to expand muscle-building equipment<\/a> and free weights. They\u2019ve also added new strength machines: hack squat machines, incline presses, and glute drive machines, to name a few. You can also sign out accessories like barbell pads and resistance bands at the front desk.<\/p>\n

While I haven\u2019t personally seen one, people online have mentioned seeing actual squat racks at their local Planet Fitness, not the fixed-track Smith machines. \u201cThis is by far one of the best gyms I\u2019ve ever been to in my whole life,\u201d said one user<\/a> who mentions that he was once \u201cone of those guys that said Planet Fitness is fucking trash.\u201d Steve, 55, told me he was an LA Fitness member until a month and a half ago. \u201cEvery piece of equipment was broken and it was more money for fewer amenities. Planet Fitness gave me everything I needed. Plus I use the massage and tanning beds.\u201d<\/p>\n

They Merked the Lunk Alarm<\/p>\n

BACK IN THE<\/strong> day, Planet Fitness was big on branding itself as a \u201cJudgment-Free Zone,\u201d positioning the gym as unintimidating for the casual beginner. The \u201cLunk Alarm\u201d was a reminder of that vow: Every Planet Fitness location had a blue siren jutting out from the wall above the free weights or Smith machines that would\u2014allegedly\u2014go off if someone was ego lifting\u2014a.k.a. grunting or disrupting the space by throwing weights around. (These wouldn\u2019t automatically go off, they had to be manually turned on by an employee, I later learned online<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\"Planet<\/p>\n

Boston Globe\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Instead of deterring showoffs, the Lunk Alarm may have ostracized a good chunk of the gym community: experienced<\/a> lifters. I remember comments online absolutely savaging<\/a> the Lunk Alarm, lifters purposely trying to set it off out of spite<\/a>, and still others saying they felt targeted. Below the alarm was a sign defining \u201clunk\u201d\u2014\u201cRicky is slamming his weights, wearing a bodybuilding tank top, and drinking out of a gallon water jug\u2026What a lunk!\u201d Pretty judgmental for a judgment-free zone.<\/p>\n

You know what? I never actually heard the lunk alarm go off. There never really were any heavy weights to throw around (max dumbbell weight is 75 pounds). Years ago, I remember once throwing weights on the floor, and immediately preparing myself for the sirens. Nothing. It was supposed to discourage \u201cgym bro\u201d behavior, but it also seemed like a constant reminder not to go too hardcore on your workouts.<\/p>\n

When the lunk alarms were removed around two years ago, I started to notice an uptick in super muscular guys in the gym and more people pumping iron in a way that wasn\u2019t even allowed before.<\/p>\n

They Evolved the Casual, Beginner Gym<\/p>\n

INITIALLY, IT SEEMED<\/strong> like Planet Fitness was positioning itself for people who weren\u2019t interested in upending their whole lifestyle. There were Pizza Mondays and Bagel Tuesdays. There was a bucket of Tootsie Rolls you could swipe at the front desk. It seemed like the idea was to help members reward themselves for working out. The message implied that a small treat wouldn\u2019t undo weeks of exercise.<\/p>\n

It was a nice gesture\u2014and I definitely participated\u2014but it also made Planet Fitness look unserious. I\u2019d argue that it kind of implied that if you wanted to take your workouts seriously, eventually you\u2019d need to sign up somewhere else. I saw that play out in real time.<\/p>\n

As my friends locked in on exercising, the ones who started with me eventually moved on to Life Time and LA Fitness. Though PF discontinued free pizzas and bagels during the pandemic, these free perks never came back (but the Tootsie Rolls remain). Recently, some of my friends have come crawling back.<\/p>\n

One decision I personally appreciate is that PF finally got rid of the express 30-minute area. It was a full body circuit corner with a mix of strength machines and cardio step stations (where you were supposed to do jumping jacks, step ups, etc). There would be a timer for 60 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest before alternating to the next station. Honestly, those mustard-colored machines took up too much space and using them made you feel like you were screaming \u2018I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m doing.\u2019 I don\u2019t think I ever saw anyone follow the circuit. Good riddance!<\/p>\n

The Culture Is Still There<\/p>\n

\u201cIT\u2019S A FRIENDLY<\/strong> place to come work out and the machines aren\u2019t always being used. They\u2019re always open,\u201d Luis, 26, tells me. Kevin, 24, says he feels he can work out without people looking or judging him.<\/p>\n

I never see influencers recording themselves<\/a> at the gym. People don\u2019t throw their gym bags around or hog machines by leaving a rude little water bottle sitting on the seat. People are actually really good at wiping down machines. Above all, the vibe is that no one will make fun of people<\/a> trying their best.<\/p>\n

Look, the place still isn\u2019t perfect. There\u2019s the stale air and the free weights area reeks of hot man sweat. At least one machine is broken at all times. Dumbbells still only go up to 75 pounds, kettlebells to 30. I still don\u2019t have a squat rack.<\/p>\n

But for me, and apparently lots of others, these aren\u2019t dealbreakers. Even my younger brother came back to Planet Fitness recently after turning traitor and switching to LA Fitness years ago. I asked if he did it because Planet Fitness is cool now. His response?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that serious. I just need a cheap place to work out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, MS is the associate health & fitness for Men’s Health and has previously written for CNN, Scientific American, Popular Science, and National Geographic before joining the brand. When she’s not working, she’s doing circus arts or working towards the perfect pull-up.<\/p>\n